Insulating end post for mitered rails



p E. F. SCH ERMERHORN 2,130,106

INSULATING END POST FOR MITERED RAILS Filed March 3, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l E1 5 cherrnerhorn OXMMM;

Se t. 13, 1938: E. F. SCHERMERHORN 2,130,106

INSULATING END POST FOR MITERED RAILS Filed March 3, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 TAT TENT

U NIT E .71: S

' INSULATING END POST FOR -MITERED RAILS Edwards F. Schermerhorn, Brooklyn, N. Y., as-

signor to Poor & Company,-New York, N. Y.,=a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1937, *Serial N0. 128,852

13 Claims. (01. 238-153) This invention relates to insulating end posts ferred. If, however, a one-piece end post is of for'use between the meeting ends of railway rails uniform thickness, relative twisting of its upper in the production of insulated rail joints, and and lower portions results in increasing its overhas particular reference to a one-piece insulating all thickness in the zone of the twist. Therefore,

- end post especially designed for use between mithe use of a twisted one-piece end post of unltered rail ends, form thickness between the ends of a pair of rails Mitering or the cutting diagonally of the ends would result in thehblding of the rail ends of rails is done to provide a rail joint in which spaced apart by an amount greater than the the meeting end portions of the rails are disposed thickness of the stock of the end post. Ihis,

* in overlapping relationship, so that locomotive however, would operate'to defeat the very purand car wheels in passing over the joint ride pose of mitering the rail ends, since, to accomonto the end of the rail being approached before plishsaid purpose requires that the gap between they ride off of the rail over which they are travthe rail ends be reduced to the very minimum 'eling. Thereby, pounding of the rail ends is repossible.

duced, the life of the joint is prolonged and Accordingly, thegeneral object of the present there substantially is avoided the objectionable invention is to provide a one-piece insulating end clicking sound which is produced by the passage post which is normally fiat for economical prooflocomotive and'car wheels over joints in which duction from flat stock; which embodies a conthe rails are square out at their ends. struction whereby its upper and lower portions In the cutting of the ends of rails for use "n may readily be twisted relative to each other by th roduction of mitered rail joints,.the c mhand to facilitate its insertion into a mitered mon practice is to square-cut the lower portions Ta j and W c W n tW t d'an'd inserted of the rails, including their bases and the lower nt th gap between the rail ends, Will not D- portions of their webs, and to miter or cut diagcrate to hold the rails spaced a y' i t p rt anally the upper portions of the rails, including than the thickness of the stock of the end post. 25 their heads and the upper portions of their webs. iAHOtheI important Object the nvention is Where the square and the diagonal cuts meet, to pr vid a one-pie n l in end p f r usually at or near the horizontal neutral axis of te ra l Joints ody a Co struction each rail, the change in the cuts is an abrupt whereby there is avoided in nt t with .30 change. Therefore, where the square and the the end post by the sharp corners at the ends of diagonal cuts meet there are sharp corners and therai-ls w e the Square and diagOnal Cuts shoulders. Moreover, due to the square cutting thereof meet. or the lower portions of the rails and to the di- With' the foregoing'and other objects in view, agonal' cutting of the upper portionsof the rails, which will become more fully app e as the and considering the rails as viewed in side elenature of the invention is better understood, the 35 vation, the gap between the heads of the rails same consists in an end post embodying a novel is atthe sides of the rail heads, disalined from construction-as will be hereinafter more fully dethe gapbetween the lower portions of the rails. scribed, 'illustratedin' the accompanying draw- All of this means, therefore, that in inserting a ing d d the app d d C aims- 40 one-piece insulating end post between the rail In thedrawings: 40 ends, the upper and the lower portions of the end Figures 1 and 2 are a side elevation and. a top post must be twisted relative to each other in p View, respect y, illustrating the meeting orderto permitthe insertion, unless, of course, ends of a pair 'of'mitered rails and an end post one of the rails is vertically or laterally shifted, formed-in accordance with the present invention which is impracticable, and this is true whether interposed between the rail ends. 5 the end post normally is fiat or is molded, pressed Figure 8 is a perspective view of an insulating or otherwise formed to have its upper and lower end post for ed in accordance With One p portions normally angularly related correspondcal embodiment of the invention, the same being ing to the angular relationship of the diagonally shown in its normally flat condition.

5.0 and square-cut portions of the rail ends. Of Figure i is an edge view of the end post illuscourse, the end post might be formed in sepatrated in Fig. 3,-showing upper and the lower rate, upper and lower sections, and in that event portions of the same relatively twisted; and the need of any twisting would be avoided, but Figures 5,6, 7 and 3 are views similar to Fig.3 there are various objections to the use of a secillustrating alternative forms of end posts tional end post and a one-piece end post is preformed .inaccordancewith. the invention. 55

Referring to the drawings in detail, R, R designate the meeting end portions of a pair of rails which, in accordance with known practice, have their heads I!) and the upper portions of their webs H cut diagonally, and the lower portions of their webs and their bases l2 square-cut to provide what is known as a mitered joint.

The diagonal and the square-cut surfaces meet approximately at the horizontal, neutral axes of the rails, and where they meet the change in their angularity is abrupt. Moreover, the planes of said surfaces intersect in the central, vertical, longitudinal planes of the rails. Therefore, where said surfaces meet there are sharp corners.

There has hereinbefore been explained why a one-piece end post is desirable and why it is impracticable to employ a one-piece end post of uniform thickness. Therefore, according to the present invention, the end post is of one-piece construction, but, in the zone thereof which requires twisting in order to permit it to be inserted between the rail ends, it is formed of reduced thickness and, if desired, of reduced width, in order that its upper and lower portions may readily be twisted relative to each other to facilitate its insertion between the rail ends and in order that, when inserted, it will not have any greater over-all thickness in its zone of twist than the thickness of the stock from which it is formed, so that the rails will not be held spaced apart by an amount any greater than the thickness of the end post stock.

According to each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the present end post is formed most economically from flat stock, such as fibre, of suitable thickness and comprises, as usual, head, base and web portions designated as l3, I4 and I5, respectively, to be interposed between the corresponding portions of the rails. Moreover, according to each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention the reduction in thickness and, if desired, the reduction in width, of the end post is effected throughout a short length section of the web l4 thereof which extends approximately equal distances above and below the point of meeting of the diagonal and the square-cut end surfaces of the rails when the end post is interposed between the rail ends. In this connection, Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate that the web 14 is reduced only in thickness, as indicated at It; that the reduction is effected by cutting away equal amounts of the web M at opposite sides thereof, and that the reduced portion I6 is of uniform thickness throughout its length. Likewise, Fig. 5 illustrates that the web I4 is reduced only in thickness, as indicated at I 6*, and that the reduction is effected by cutting away equal amounts of the web at opposite sides thereof. However, as distinguished from the Figs. 3 and 4 form of the invention, Fig. 5 illustrates that the portion l6 of reduced thickness is of least thickness medially and gradually increases in thickness upwardly and downwardly from its middle, becoming at its ends of the same thickness as the stock of the end post. This is a very practical construction inasmuch as it weakens the end post very little and enables ready maximum twisting where maximum twisting is necessary and equally as ready lesser twisting where lesser twisting is necessary. On the other hand, Fig. 6 of the drawings illustrates that the Web I5 is reduced both in thickness and width to enable very ready relative twisting of the upper and the lower portions of the end post. According to this form of the invention, segmental recesses l6", similar to the recesses 16 of the Fig. 5 form of the invention, are cut in opposite side faces of the web l5, and segmental recesses I1, preferably but not necessarily coextensive in height with the recesses 16 are cut in opposite edges of the web I5. However, as will be apparent, the recesses I! of Fig. 6 may be combined with side recesses as shown in Fig. 3. In fact, it is manifest that the web 15 may be reduced only in thickness, or only in width, or both in thickness and width, in various different manners to accomplish the purpose of providing a zone of twist which will enable the upper and the lower portions of the end post to be twisted relatively to each other without the development in the zone of twist of an over-all thickness of the end post in excess of the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed. It will be further manifest that the head portion of the end post may have its side edges either square cut as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, or cut diagonally as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. If said edges are square-cut, slight triangular voids of no particular consequence will exist at the sides of the joint, at the head thereof. If, on the other hand, said edges are cut diagonally, they will form smooth continuations of the sides of the rail heads across the joint, as shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. '7 and 8 of the drawings illustrate other practical alternative forms of the invention. According to Fig. '7 the web I5 is of spindle-like form of circular cross section and of a diameter either equal to or less than the thickness of the stock comprising the end post. On the other hand, according to the Fig. 8 form of the invention, the web I5, instead of having side or edge recesses, is provided with an elongated vertical slot or saw kerf I8 extending preferably the full height of the web and, if desired, into the head and the base of the end post. Of course, the spindle-like web of the Fig. '7 form of the invention may be of any desired shape in cross section, and side and, or, edge recesses may, if desired, be provided in the web of the Fig. 8 form of the invention.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece insulating end post for use between mitered rails of the type in which the upper and the lower portions of the rail ends are disposed in vertical planes oblique to each other, said end post comprising head and base portions and a connecting web to be twisted to dispose said head and base portions in required angular relationship to each other to fit between the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends, respectively, said web having at least a portion thereof of sub-normal sectional area as compared with the cross sectional area of the normal web of a normal end post formed from stock of the same thickness as the stock from which the present end post is formed, thereby to facilitate twisting of said head and base portions to required angular relationship to each other, said portion of sub-normal sectional area being disposed to extend above and below the junction of the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends.

2. A one-piece insulating end post for use between mitered rails of the type in which the upper and the lower portions of the rail ends are disposed in vertical planes oblique to each other, said end post comprising head and base portions and a connecting web to be twisted to dispose said head and base portions in required angular relationship to each other to fit between the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends, respectively, at least that portion of said web which extends above and below the junction of the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends being of reduced thickness as compared with the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed, thereby to facilitate twisting of said head and base portions to required angular relationship to each other.

3. A one-piece insulating end post for use between mitered rails of the type in which the upper and the lower portions of the rail ends are disposed in vertical planes oblique to each other, said end post comprising head and base portions and a connecting web to be twisted to dispose said head and base portions in required angular relationship to each other to fit between the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends, respectively, at least that portion of said web which extends above and below the junction of the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends being of reduced width as compared with the normal width of the web of a normal end post, thereby to facilitate twisting of said head and base portions to required angular relationship to each other.

4. A one-piece insulating end post for use between mitered rails of the type in which the upper and the lower portions of the rail ends are disposed in vertical planes oblique to each other, said end post comprising head and base portions and a connecting web to be twisted to dispose said head and base portions in required angular relationship to each other to fit between the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends, respectively, at least that portion of said web which extends above and below the junction of the obliquely related upper and lower portions of the rail ends beng of reduced thickness as compared with the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed, and of reduced width as compared with the normal width of the web of a normal end post, thereby to facilitate twisting of said head and base portions to required angular relationship to each other.

5. An end post as set forth in claim 2 in which the reduced thickness portion of the web thereof is of such thickness that, when twisted by twisting of the head and the base portions of the end post to required angular relationship to each other, its over-all thickness is not in excess of the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed.

6. An end post asset forth in claim 2 in which the reduced thickness portion of the web thereof is of uniform reduced thickness throughout its height and of such reduced thickness that, when twisted by twisting of the head and the base portions of the end post to required angular relationship to each other, its over-all thickness is not in excess of the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed.

'7. An end post as set forth in claim 2 in which the reduced thickness portion of the web thereof is of maximum reduced thickness approximately midway of its height and of progressively increasing thickness toward its top and bottom and of such reduced thickness that, when twisted by twisting of the head and the base portions of the end post to required angular relationship to each other, its over-all thickness is not in excess of the thickness of the stock from which the end post is formed.

8. An end post as set forth in claim 1 in which the web thereof, throughout a portion of its height, is of spindle-like form.

9. An end post as .set forth in claim 1 in which the web thereof is provided with an elongated vertical slot.

10. An end post as set forth in claim 1 in which the web thereof has opposed recesses in opposite side faces thereof forming the portion of subnormal sectional area.

11. An end post as set forth in claim 1 in which the web thereof has opposed recesses in opposite edges thereof forming the portion of sub-normal sectional area.

12. An end post as set forth in claim 1 in which the web thereof has opposed recesses in opposite other, said end post including head and base portions to lie between head and base portions of the rails, and a web connecting said head and base portions and having that portion thereof which lies adjacent to the junction of the obliquely related portions of the rail ends notched to facilitate twisting thereof.

EDWARDS F. SCHERMERHORN. 

